fresh air

A week or so ago I went hiking with my wonderful friend The Geologist. I took some pictures with my cameraphone that luckily came out good enough to share. Because I want you to know that a) I went hiking! For the first of hopefully many many many times! And b) I live in a really beautiful place. Have I mentioned how much I love living here?

Here is a view from the top of the (short) mountain we climbed up, looking out over the Connecticut River valley and the river itself. Up the river to the right (north) is Brattleboro. We would have had to hike further to actually be able to look down at the town and we were ready to turn around, so that's for another hike, another day. Geography lesson: this river is the line between VT and NH here, so from this viewpoint we were actually in NH looking at VT (and Massachusetts, to the south).


There isn't great definition in this photo, but if you can pick out the snow-capped peak off in the distance there, you're looking at Mt. Monadnock, one of this higher peaks in southern New Hampshire (nothing compared to the White Mountains further north in NH, I'm told... and can't wait to see for myself... but definitely a cool little mountain and supposedly one of the most-climbed mountains in New England).


Here is another view of the river. You're looking at three states here! Cool, huh?



And it's interesting, on the way back down we passed a bunch of local teenagers hiking in flip-flops, carrying beer and goodness knows what else up to the top. I wonder if they look at these views and have a totally different (not better, not worse, just different) kind of appreciation for them than I do . Probably. It would be interesting to talk about it with them. Because if places like this are going to continue to be accessible and livable and hikable, it's going to take some serious effort from all of us. But, as you can see, it's worth it.